


Falling Together

by angel_protecting_you, feonixfur



Series: Hunters and Angels: Troubled Souls [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Blades, Angel Wards, BAMF Castiel, BAMF Dean, Blind Castiel, Exhausted Dean, Fae Magic, Faeries - Freeform, Fluff, Green Eyes, Hot Topical, Hurt Castiel, Hurt Claire, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Sad Dean, Worried Castiel, Worried Dean, Worried Sam, angel voice - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:32:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 14,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7659409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_protecting_you/pseuds/angel_protecting_you, https://archiveofourown.org/users/feonixfur/pseuds/feonixfur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Cas are living their lives until Jody calls saying Claire went missing on a solo hunt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wait Up

“Hey, Cas, wait up!” 

The sound of Dean’s voice stopped Castiel as he was walking up the bunker stairs. Turning around he saw Dean coming towards him with his duffel slung over his shoulder and a sandwich in his hand. 

“Cas, Sam dug up a case about 3 hours away, but he is busy working with Eileen and can’t come. You want in?”

Castiel smiled as he answered,

“Of course, Dean, whatever you need.”

Dean grinned, and together they walked to the Impala, driving off towards the highway.

“What case was Sam able to find?”

Castiel looked over at Dean as he drove, once again struck at Dean’s selflessness. Dean never hesitated to leave behind the place he calls home to go hunt a monster. 

“Just a basic salt and burn, sounds like.”

Dean tapped the steering wheel in time with the radio, and when the next song came on, he cranked the volume up and sang along.

Castiel smiled fondly before turning back to the window to watch the world race by. Driving was so different than flying. He never got this chance to watch trees blur by while traveling faster than light. He spent the entirety of their drive lost in his head while Dean sang along with radio.

 

After the job was done, Dean and Castiel walked slowly back to the car, covered in dirt, and in Dean’s case, blood.

“Dean, I can heal that.”

Dean shrugged and shook his head.

“Nah, it’s just a scratch from the chair she flung at us. You were quick with those matches, though, good job.”

They got in the car and started to drive. Cas kept a close eye on the wound in Dean’s arm, since it was definitely not a scratch. Once he saw Dean quietly check and see if the bleeding had sufficiently stopped, and another time he saw the grimace of pain that Dean quickly hid while he was changing the music. Reaching across the seat, Cas placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder, letting his grace heal all traces of the harm done by the ghost. Dean rolled his shoulders and glanced at Cas before smiling softly.

“Thanks Cas. I guess I did need that.”

Castiel didn’t answer, just dipped his head in acknowledgement before allowing himself to be distracted by the world flying by. Driving at night held different wonders then the daylight hours. The world didn’t look the same, even though none of it had changed. Streetlights popped in and out of his window, their light shining on the interior of the car for seconds before they passed. The stars, however, seemed to hang in the sky; their stationary presence was a constant source of peace for the angel. Castiel settled himself more comfortably before leaning back, content to watch the world pass by as Dean drove through the night.


	2. You Wanna Get Outta Here?

Dean watched as Cas sat at the table, eyes lowered, hands clasped, lips pressed tight. It was killing him seeing his best friend all depressed and shit. He had noticed Cas watching the stars as they had driven back the night before, but whatever peace he had found was gone this morning. He had to do something, anything; just to get him to smile for a little while.

“Hey, Cas, you wanna get outta here?”

Cas looked up and shrugged his shoulders.

“Of course, Dean, whatever you wish.”

Dean didn’t like how Cas sounded. So, he pulled him up and pushed him towards the garage. 

“C’mon, Cas. I got a good place in mind.”

Dean drove slower than normal, watching Cas out of the corner of his eye. Not that he could see much of the angel: Cas was facing the window, sitting sideways on the seat.

“Cas, you OK buddy?”

Cas was quiet for a while and Dean was starting to get more concerned for him. 

“I miss it, sometimes.”

Dean tensed at what Cas said. He knew it was selfish of him to want to keep Cas on Earth, but every time he went to Heaven bad shit happened. 

Dean pulled over sooner than he had planned. This place would work. He drove away from the highway and towards an old field. When he turned of the car and opened the door Cas looked up at him curious.

“Out of the car, Cas. Follow me.”

Dean sat on the hood of the car and waited for Cas to do the same.

“You know the constellations, Cas?”

“Of course, Dean. I know all of the stars. I have travelled through them in my true form, heard the songs made by the dying stars, and witnessed new stars being born. I have travelled into the very center of a star and watched as it burned. Why do you ask?”

Dean stared at Cas a bit incredulously, and then shook his head. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Cas wasn’t what he looked like; that he was vast and ancient, strong and wise. But he was also weird and dorky and innocent.

“No Cas, do you know the pictures made out of stars? Look up, tell me what you see.”

Cas looked up, obediently, and Dean watched as his eyes tracked the lines and patterns of the stars. Dean knew most of the constellations around here; he had taught Sammy about this kind of stuff when they were kids stuck in a stupid motel for days and weeks on end. But he knew that Cas had never been taught to see the pictures in life, just the molecules and building blocks that formed life.

Dean leaned back against the windshield and pulled Cas down next to him. He pointed up at his favorite constellation, drawing the lines with his finger, and he waited until Cas could see it too. Then he moved on to Sam’s favorite. And then his mom’s. He pointed out each one he knew and waited until Cas could see it before moving on. When he finished pointing out the last ones he knew, he rested his arm on his chest and just kept staring at the sky.

“Thank you Dean.” Cas’ voice was quiet, and Dean knew he didn’t want to break the spell of the night. So he matched his tone, still staring at the sky.

“You got it, Cas.”


	3. Where to?

“Where to, Cas?”

Dean’s voice was light, but his hands were quiet on the steering wheel. Castiel watched him for a moment, and then turned his attention back to the stars, remembering the forms Dean had just shown him. 

“Could we go home?” He asked this quietly, unsure if Dean noticed his hesitancy over the word ‘home’. 

Castiel had no home. He belonged nowhere; not in Heaven, with the brothers and sisters who rejected him, nor on Earth, unless… 

“Sure thing, Cas. Let’s go home.”

Dean sounded so sure of himself, so possessed of knowledge and belonging. Home. Maybe Castiel could find a home here with the only two humans who accepted him, no matter what apocalypse he started.

Castiel watched as Dean started the engine and drove back onto the highway, heading towards the bunker.

He tuned out the car as Dean drove. Thinking back on their evening, Castiel couldn’t recall the last time someone had done something for him. Again, he thought about how selfless Dean is, about how in tune he is with others. Castiel hadn’t even realized he needed this until he was laying on top of the car with Dean. He got so lost in his thoughts he didn’t realize that they were back until Dean called his name.

“I’m coming.” 

Castiel got out of the car and followed Dean through the bunker. Dean stopped in the kitchen, and started a pot of coffee.

“You OK, Cas?” 

Dean turned and looked at him. Sam wasn’t anywhere in the bunker, that Castiel could sense. it was just the two of them: him and Dean. He wondered if this time he could voice the doubts that had plagued him for years.

“I… I am unsure who I am.”

Dean looked at him, confusion on his face.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re Cas. Castiel, Angel of the Lord, big sparks flying everywhere, remember?”

Castiel lowered his eyes to the floor and shook his head.

“None of the Angels believe that. I have been told repeatedly that I am nothing. That I have abandoned Heaven for my charge… for you, Dean.”

Silence followed his confession for a moment, until Dean put down the mug he was holding; the noise catching Castiel’s attention. 

“Cas, I don’t know what bullshit those idiots upstairs have been feeding you, but you are still Cas. You are still an Angel of the Lord, and that doesn’t have to mean an Angel of Heaven. And whatever choices you made for us, I am beyond grateful for, cause you are family to me. You belong here, and don’t let anyone tell you different, ‘K?”

Castiel kept silent, not sure he could speak, but he nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

“Good.” 

Dean stood up straight and filled his mug with fresh coffee and a dash of whatever was in his flask before walking out of the kitchen.

“C’mon, Cas, let’s go watch some Netflix.”

Castiel waited a few minutes before following, finally allowing himself to smile as he walked towards Dean’s room. 


	4. Don't Stop

It had been a quiet few days at the bunker, and Dean was getting bored. Sam and Cas were sitting nearby; Sam was busy digitizing the Men of Letter’s library and Cas was currently sucked into the black hole called Netflix. Dean just sat at the table nursing a beer and scrolling through weird news looking for a case. He was so engrossed in this task that he nearly jumped out of his chair when his phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID and smiled when he saw who it was.

“Jody! It’s been a while, whatcha need?”

“Dean, I can’t find Claire.”

Dean went cold and looked over at Cas, knowing he was going to freak out when he heard this.

“What happened?” 

Sam and Cas looked up instantly at the serious tone in Dean’s voice, both beginning to look worried.

“I don’t know, Dean,” said Jody, and Dean heard the fear in her voice.

“She was supposed to go camping or something, but she hasn’t called me in days. I went through her room and saw books on monsters and think this was really a hunt. Dean, what’s a wendigo?”

Dean felt a jolt of fear run through him as he pictured Claire, vibrant and full of life - not to mention the small fact of her being Cas’ not-daughter - being dragged through the woods by a wendigo. He looked at Cas and tried to keep the fear in his heart from reaching his voice, for both Cas and Jody’s sake. 

“Jody, we are coming. I need you to pack up anything that resembles a flame thrower: flares, torches, anything fire related. OK? We are coming right now.”

“Dean, please don’t - please don’t stop.” Jody’s voice broke as she begged. Dean felt familiar guilt push down on him: he was unable to protect the ones he cared for. 

“I’m not gonna, Jody. I promise.”

Dean hung up the phone and turned towards Sam and Cas.    
“Dean, what’s going on?” Sam sounded extremely worried, but Dean could only look at Cas as he answered.

"Cas, Claire is missing. Sounds like she went on a hunt and a wendigo got her."

“Shit,” said Sam, and he ran out of the room. Dean knew he was packing, and he knew that he should too, but he needed to make sure Cas was OK first. 

Cas was standing with his eyes closed and his head tilted, and Dean took a step forward and put his hand on the angel’s arm.

“Cas?”

“She is alive. That’s all I can tell.”

Cas’ voice was tight and his shoulders were tensed with fury and fear. Dean could see how worried his friend was, so he squeezed the arm he held and tried to reassure him.

“We’ll get her back, Cas. I promise.”

Cas just nodded, so Dean turned and ran to his own room to pack. They had a long drive ahead of them, but Dean was going to drive as fast as he could. No way was he going to face either Jody or Cas if he didn’t get to Claire in time.

The two men and the angel were in the car and driving away from the bunker less than 10 minutes later, the music off and the mood intense. Sam was in the back, maps of the South Dakota woods open as he tried to guess where probable wendigo lairs could be. Dean was driving and Cas was sitting next to him with his Angel Blade in his lap, rolling it between his hands and looking like he was lost in his thoughts.. Suddenly Cas went rigid and he turned to Dean; his eyes wild and blazing blue.

“Claire! I can hear her praying to me. Dean, hurry!”

Dean floored the gas and the impala roared as they flew down the highway.


	5. I'm Coming With You

_ Claire’s arms hurt so much from being chained above her head: holding her entire weight. But at the same time she could barely feel them, the restraints had long since cut off circulation in her hands. It was too dark to see anything in the deep cave the monsters had dragged her into. Stupid, she was so stupid. Jody was going to kill her if she ever got out of this. Her breath hitched as she tried to keep herself calm. Claire sent another silent plea to Castiel - wherever he might be - hoping that somehow he would hear her, although she was starting to think this was finally the end.  _

 

Dean could see that Cas was drawing in more and more power as they got closer to Jody’s place. He didn’t even try to calm the angel down, knowing that he acted worse whenever Sam or Cas was missing. He just kept his foot on the gas and made the miles disappear. Sam was still poring over the maps and the laptop trying to find the possible location of the wendigo, when he took out his phone and started dialing.

“Jody… yeah we are almost there, maybe 15 more minutes?” He glanced at Dean who nodded in affirmation of the time.

“Yeah, Jody, I know. Listen, did you get all the fire stuff Dean asked for? ... Good. OK, put it in the trunk of your car. So get this, there are two probable places in the direction Cas can sense Claire… Angel, Jody… No… his wings aren’t working right now.”

Dean barely caught the blue flash of rage coming from Cas’ eyes, but he didn’t miss how Cas’ hands tightened into fists. Without thinking, he put one hand over the angel’s, letting him know he wasn’t alone. Sam was still speaking with Jody, and Dean dragged his attention back to the road and the conversation so he wouldn’t miss any vital information.

“OK, I’m coming with you, and Dean and Cas will check out the other site… Yeah, don’t worry, we will get her back.”

Dean glanced at Sam through the rear-view mirror as he asked,

“She holding on OK?”

Sam nodded, and then folded up the laptop, putting it away with his other stuff. Dean didn’t say anything else, just took his hand off Cas and tried to drive faster. 

 

Sam had spread out the maps on Jody’s table and was showing them the two possible places he thought a wendigo could have it’s lair: an abandoned mine shaft, and a series of possible caves in the nearby mountains. The locations were barely 10 miles apart, but both were in range of the probably wendigo location Claire had marked on the map Jody had taken from her room. Jody marked the map where Claire’s last known position was; also within the wendigo’s territory. Once Dean knew which site he and Cas were taking - the caves - he turned his attention to the only other person in the room. Alex was sitting on the couch, knees pulled up to her face, and looking lost. He walked over and sat next to her, staying silent as he guessed she didn’t want to talk. Alex had occasionally emailed him over the past couple years; their whole shared “I used to be a vampire” thing had let them bond. She reached down and took his hand, gripping it painfully tight. Dean didn’t care, he just looked at her, watching her eyes turn watery, but refusing to let the tears fall.

“Dean, please bring her back.” Her voice was steady but the hand holding his was shaking with fear. 

“I promise, Alex, I promise.” 

She looked at him and nodded, and he squeezed her hand back. 

“Alex, do you know anything about why Claire went out hunting?”

Jody and Sam looked over at him, but didn’t interrupt. Cas walked over and stood next to Dean, his hands held loosely at his side.

“Um, no. I’m sorry. I do know that she took that weird sword, though.” 

“The angel sword?” “The Grigori’s sword?” Dean and Cas asked together. 

Alex nodded, and a feeling of unease went through Dean, although he couldn’t figure out why.

“Alex, when we leave, put down salt and draw these sigils on the doors and windows, OK?” 

He stood and quickly scribbled down warding symbols for both demons and angels. Cas shifted in discomfort when he had finished drawing the angel one. Dean put his hand apologetically on Cas’ shoulder, before handing the pages to Alex. She took them and there was fear in her eyes, but a firm set to her jaw. She nodded and went into the kitchen, presumably to find salt.

“Dean?” Sam sounded confused.

“Something’s wrong.” 

He couldn’t explain it any more than that, and they didn’t have any more time to waste, so he and Cas got into the Impala, and Sam and Jody got into her truck, both cars driving off towards Claire’s last known location. As he left the driveway, Dean looked in the mirror and saw Alex in the window, faithfully drawing the sigils on the glass with a marker.


	6. I Promise

Dean parked next to Jody at the ranger station closest to where Claire said she was camping. Quickly, he and the others grabbed weapons out of their trunks before heading off into the woods. They stayed together, him, Cas, Sam, and Jody, until they got to the campsite. Jody’s mouth was set in a thin line as she looked over the abandoned tent and sleeping bag, but Dean could see the fear in her eyes. 

“Jody,” he waited until she looked at him before he continued. “Jody, I promise we will find her. Cas says she is still alive, so that means we have time.” 

Jody’s eyes darted over to Cas, who stood impassively next to the remnants of a fire. 

“She’s alive?”

Cas nodded, but Dean could see there was something else wrong beside Cas’ worry for Claire.

“Cas?” Dean stepped closer to the angel and placed a hand on his arm.

“Something is blocking me. I should be able to feel her, pinpoint her location, but I’m being muted by something or someone.”

Dean knew there was something wrong with this picture the second Alex had mentioned the sword. He dropped to his knee and rummaged through his duffel until he found three angel blades. He gave two of them to Sam and Jody slipped the third one in his jacket. Cas, he knew, already had his own blade. 

“Ok, there’s something hinky going on, but we don’t have time to waste. Sam, you and Jody go to the mines, but watch your back, ‘K?”

 

Dean watched as Sam led Jody through woods until they disappeared. Then he turned to Cas, trying to hide the worry he felt as he looked at the angel. 

“You’re being blocked?”

“Yes.”

Cas didn’t say anything else, and Dean didn’t pry. He knew there was no point. So he loaded himself up with weapons, made sure the angel blade was in his hand, and swung his duffle over his shoulder.

“C’mon, Cas. Let’s go get our girl.”

 

As Dean walked through the woods, Cas at his back, he felt like he was back in Purgatory. The sounds of the brush under his feet melded with the noises of the animals in the background, and he felt sharper - more ready - for whatever was coming. His grip tightened around the blade in his hand and he felt his posture drop into a more predatory stance as he walked. Neither of them said anything as they walked, but they didn’t need to. This was so familiar, him and Cas hunting something, and Dean relaxed into the memory of Purgatory’s pureness. 

 

They had walked for an hour in silence when Cas stopped, his eyes closed and his head tilted as he listened to something Dean couldn’t hear. 

“What’s going on, Cas?”

“I can hear it singing.”

“What? What’s singing?”

Cas didn’t answer but he started to feverishly search around their location. Dean helped, even though he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to looking for. His foot struck something that made a metallic sound and he looked down, not wanting to see what he was expecting.

“Cas.” 

Cas walked over to Dean and bent down, his hand shaking as he reached out and grasped the hilt of the angel sword that had fallen under the leaves. Dean watched as Cas stood and held the blade at his side. Suddenly Cas screamed in frustration and his eyes burned blue with grace. Dean nearly fell to the forest floor as Cas was using his True Voice, and Dean had never been able to safely hear it. The wind blew harshly and the nearby wildlife fled at the unearthly sound. Jumping forward with one hand still trying to protect his ears, Dean grabbed the angel, forcing Cas to turn and face him.

“Cas! Cas! We will find her! We are getting close, don’t lose it now. Save it for when we are fighting the bad guy, OK?”

Cas closed his eyes and lowered his head. They stayed like that for a moment, Dean supporting Cas’ weight as the angel regained his calm. Then Cas placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder, and he felt a wave of grace flow through him as Cas healed whatever damage his Voice had done. Then the angel turned out of Dean’s arms and walked away. As he did, he flourished the sword in his hand and it disappeared. Dean gripped his own blade tighter and followed the war-bound angel.

 


	7. Please

Dean and Cas had walked for another 20 minutes when they saw the narrow opening in the mountainside; they had finally reached the caves. Cas stopped abruptly and placed his hand over Dean’s eyes, and Dean felt a strange pulse of grace rush through them.

“Dude, what the hell?” He was rubbing his eyes and blinking, the world around him suddenly much clearer and sharper.

“I can feel some kind of warding deep inside the caves, so I needed to ensure that at least one of us does not have hampered vision. I increased your ocular capacity, but it’s only temporary, it will last throughout the day. Dean, I need you to promise me something.”

Dean waited for Cas to finish, but the angel had fallen silent, and he wasn’t looking at Dean anymore.

“What, Cas? You know I’m here. Whatever you need, man.”

“Dean, whatever happens inside, I need you to get Claire out. Even if I cannot follow.”

Cas raised his eyes back to Dean’s face, and Dean could see the need that gripped the angel: both in the way the blue eyes stared at Dean, and in the way the angels hands were balled into fists.

“Cas, you know that I will keep Claire safe, but I am not leaving you behind, never again.”

Dean turned away from Cas, trying to keep his emotions under control. He kept seeing Cas slipping out of his hands as they tried to exit Purgatory, and even though he knew that image was false - a way for his brain to deal with the fact Cas didn’t want to leave - it didn’t matter. He wanted - no needed - Cas to be safe. When he had lost the angel before, it had almost killed him, and he couldn’t go through that again. 

“Dean, please.”

Cas had placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder, turning Dean until their eyes met.

“Dean, I can feel something powerful in there, and I am going to need your help both in getting to Claire, and getting her out. She is more important than anything right now. Dean, I am not abandoning you, I am asking for your help in saving a young woman who is precious to me. Dean, I will come back to you. Please, Dean.”

Dean nodded, knowing that Cas was right. Claire was too important to Cas for her to not be rescued. He drew in an unsteady breath before answering Cas.

“OK. OK, Cas, you got it. I will get her out no matter what, but you gotta promise me this one thing. Don’t you dare get left behind. Don’t you dare. You do what you gotta do, but you are coming out of this mess with me and Claire, you got it?”

Cas didn’t say anything, he didn’t even nod his head, he just turned and walked into the caves. 

 

The caves were dark, but whatever Cas had done worked wonders, cause he could see just fine. They walked in warily, knowing that something was waiting to trap them, and that the trap was baited with Claire. Dean drew his angel blade and kept it ready in his hand. He didn’t know why he opted for the blade over his gun, but he knew in his gut that the gun wouldn’t work as well as the blade. Cas slowly walked farther into the caves. He kept his hand on the walls as he felt his way, keeping track of where they were going. Dean followed close behind him, wary of letting the angel out of his sight. The cave tunnels were narrow, and there was a very faint hum in the air that was bugging Dean because it felt so familiar. He was about to ask Cas about it when the angel turned a corner and dropped out of Dean’s sight. Something clenched tight in Dean’s chest and he rushed forward to find Cas. Dean saw a flash of green light as he rounded the bend and saw that Cas was trapped in a circle of green runes that were glowing brighter and brighter, nearly blinding Dean.

“Dean!” he gasped out. “Dean it’s Fae magic. I nee-” 

Cas seized up and it looked like he was being pulled apart. Cracks started appearing all over the angel with blue grace shining out. Cas looked like he was trying to scream, but no sound came from his mouth. Dean dropped his duffel to the cave floor and began to frantically rifle through it.

“Iron, iron, iron. The fuck is the iron! Sam said it works on these fucking things! Where the fuck is the iron!”

His hand brushed up against some witch handcuffs, and he grabbed them before desperately using them to try and scratch out the runes that were trapping Cas. It worked, slowly. Dean had to scratch out three runes before Cas fell to the floor and gasped out a desperate breath. Five more runes and the angel could stand on his own. The last rune fell quickly to the iron cuffs and Cas walked out of the circle, breathing heavily and swaying as his hand searched for support. Dean jumped up and grabbed Cas’s arm, steadying him as the angel stumbled. They stood there, each supporting the other as the adrenaline wore off. Cas reached for Dean’s hand and took the witch’s cuffs from him. The angel shackled one of the manacles to his left hand before wrapping the chain around that arm. 

“What are you doing, Cas?” Dean asked.

“The runes targeted me specifically, Dean. If I keep the iron on me, it will lessen or nullify any other such runes.”

Dean nodded before turning and looking through his bag. He wished he had some more iron, but unfortunately he didn’t find any more. He had some bullets, but he had packed for wendigo’s, not fairies. So he took his angel blade, trusting that it would work on fairies as well as it worked on everything else, and turned back to the angel.

“So, fairies?”

“Yes, Dean, it appears that Fairies are behind this.”

“I fucking hate fairies.”


	8. You're Safe

_ Claire was gasping, begging for them to stop, but they never did. She couldn’t think anymore, she couldn’t stop the tears that were running down her cheeks, she couldn’t even scream as the long silver blade carved a symbol into her skin. She pleaded for mercy but the monsters just laughed and said that it would be over soon - that ‘he’ was nearly there. One of the big ones grabbed her face and she whimpered as a rough tongue rasped her cheek. _

 

Dean and Cas managed to avoid the next few traps the fairies had set; Dean making sure that they were broken before continuing on. Now that he knew it was fairies, Dean could recognize what the faint humming was: fairie magic. He was very familiar with it, even though he tried not to remember his short time running from the Fae courts. Gilda, the fairy that Charlie had befriended, had shown him a different side of the fairies, but her magic still had that strange hum. 

“Cas, are you going to be able to take these guys?” 

The angel didn’t answer, but Dean saw him flex the arm wrapped in iron. Dean didn’t press the issue. They walked for a long time without encountering anything, and Dean started to wonder how deep the caves were, when suddenly Cas stopped.

“Claire!”

The angel was radiating fury, and as Dean stepped up to his side he saw why. They had come to a large cavern, and Claire was chained with silver, hanging a foot off the floor. She was dripping with blood and Dean could tell it was from several sigils that had been carved into her. There were several people standing around her, some tall, some short. Dean knew that they were trying to look human, but thanks to his time in their realm her could see their true faces. A tall, lanky man with the eyes of a cat was lounging in a stone throne not far from Claire, and when he saw Cas he rubbed his long fingers together and grinned. 

“Ooo, Castiel, it’s about time you got here. My attendants were getting hungry and it’s become increasingly difficult to keep them from eating your offspring.”

One of the large fairies -  _ troll _ , thought Dean - walked behind Claire and lewdly started licking her neck. Cas went nuts, running into the group faster than Dean could track. Dean pulled out his gun and fired at the one on the throne, not wanting to risk hitting Claire, but the cat thing dodged the shot. The leader flicked his hand towards Dean, and Dean was pushed against the cave wall, cracking his head. Dean fell to the floor, dizzy, and as he was trying to shake off the threat of unconsciousness, he looked up and saw Cas.

The angel was fighting all of the fairies at once, using both the angel sword and the witch shackles. He would swing the iron chain around, burning the fairies or dispelling the magic that was flung at him. The sword was glowing with a white light that grew in intensity the more it killed. Dean was mesmerized at the sight of Cas spinning and dancing through the battle; not noticing the wounds he was receiving, just plunging the sword into the enemy’s flesh.  _ Fuck! Cas is awesome! _ Suddenly, one fairie was flung into the air and he crashed into Claire, who just whimpered at the impact. Dean remembered his promise and ran around the fight, keeping to the shadows so that he could rescue Claire.

When he reached her, he only got angrier as he saw the extent of her injuries and he feverishly worked to get her down from the chains. Finally she dropped, and Dean caught her before she hit the floor. Knowing he didn’t have time to try and stop any of her bleeding, he gathered her up in his arms and hurried back towards the tunnels, whispering “you’re safe” to the shivering girl. As he reached the tunnel entrance, he turned once to look at Cas who was still fighting for their lives, before he turned and disappeared into the darkness. 

 


	9. I Got You

Dean held Claire tight as he carried her through the cave tunnels, praying that Cas would be alright. Claire’s arms were still tied - Dean had only unhooked her from the chains keeping her off the floor - but he could still hear the fight between the fairies and Cas, so he didn’t dare stop yet. He kept on walking, even though his head was throbbing from being thrown into the wall, even though Claire was little more than dead weight in his arms, even though he thought he heard Cas cry out in sudden pain. He had promised the angel he’d take care of Claire, and he couldn’t let Cas down, not again. 

Claire was shaking in his arms and starting to cry. Dean tried to keep her quiet by holding her a little closer to his chest, leaning down and whispering that she was safe.

“I got you, Claire, you’re safe. I’ve got you, hush sweetie, you’re safe.”

Over and over he told her as he walked until she curled her face into his jacket and did her best to smother her sobs. 

Dean’s arms were burning from the strain of carrying her, but he didn’t care. The cave was getting darker and he realized that whatever sight mojo Cas had given him was fading. He pushed himself faster, willing his legs to make it to the entrance. He wasn’t sure if they were going the right way, but it didn’t matter. As long as they were putting distance between them and the bastards who did this they were fine. Just as the darkness was starting to overwhelm his vision, he saw a glow of natural light in the distance. 

“Almost there, Claire, almost.”

He spoke the words to himself, too, using them as a mantra to push through the pain and the exhaustion that was weighing his body down. It took another 10 minutes before they walked out of the caves and into the fading sunlight. Dean kept walking until they were out of sight of the cave entrance, and then he sat down against a tree with Claire still in his arms. They both just sat there, breathing hard and not saying anything. Finally, Dean carefully pushed Claire to the ground next to him, got out his knife, and started working on the ropes binding Claire.

“Sorry, Claire. I couldn’t stop in there. I had to get you out before I could untie you.”

Claire said nothing, she stared at the cuts and burns the rope had left on her. Dean finished cutting all the ropes, and then he started looking over her wounds, getting more and more angry when he saw what they had done. There were sigils and runes carved down her arms in familiar patterns, it looked like angel warding, which meant that Cas wouldn’t be able to get close enough to heal her.  _ Cas, I got her. We are out. But Cas, they did something bad to her. They carved her up with some weird runes and it looks like they warded her against angels. Cas I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to break the runes on Claire before you can do anything to heal her. Please be OK. I need you here. _

Dean looked at Claire with sorrow on his face as he pulled out his knife again. 

“Claire… Claire honey I’m so sorry. They put some weird shit on you and I have to break it, or else Cas can’t fix you.”

Claire looked at him, fear in her eyes, and she tried to scoot backwards to no avail. 

“Claire, I have to cut you some more, one cut on every rune. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Dean took her arm, and working as fast as he could. Claire was sobbing, trying to push against Dean, trying to stop the pain. 

“NO, no, no, no, no!” She was close to screaming, and Dean had tears running down his face, he hated that he was forced to hurt someone again. 

Everytime he sliced her, a flash of green magic appeared and evaporated. Dean didn’t know if it was due to the nature of faerie magic, or if it was because the runes were carved into flesh, but he didn’t care. He kept on slicing until her arms were seeping blood from dozens of cuts. He finally stopped, not seeing any more sigils, but he needed to make sure.

“Claire?” Dean’s voice broke from stress and pain and guilt, but he kept on speaking.

“Claire, did they cut you anywhere else?”

Claire was shaking from shock and she looked at Dean with wild eyes. He repeated himself slowly, looking her in the eyes and forcing her to listen. It took her a moment to understand him, but when she did her face crumpled and she started to cry again. She drew her knees up to her chest and turned her back to Dean, so he could see the blood that was staining her shirt. 

“Shit!” 

Dean clenched his jaw shut, not trusting himself to speak without yelling in his anger, and he didn’t want to freak out Claire anymore. Slowly he tried to lift up the back of Claire’s shirt, but it was stuck to her skin. He didn’t want to do this, but there was no other way. Using his knife, he sliced her shirt enough so that he could quickly rip it apart. The runes that were carved into the skin on her back were more intricate and evil looking than the others had been. Dean didn’t recognize these runes, he guessed they must be faerie related somehow, but he kept slicing until each run was breached. Claire was no longer crying, but she jumped every time he set his blade to her back. When he was done, her back was bleeding more than her arms were, and what was left of her shirt was falling off. Dean wished that he had bandages or something he could fix her up with, but he had left his duffel back in the cave. He must have dropped it when the fight started, but he couldn’t remember. So he did the only thing he could: he took off his jacket and carefully draped it over Claire’s shoulders. 

Dean let Claire have a moment to rest, but he knew that they had to get back to Jody and Sam. Since Cas wasn’t here, Claire needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. Knowing that she probably couldn’t walk steady yet, he picked her up again, trying not to aggravate her fresh wounds. Claire didn’t say anything, so he started walking back to where he had left Sam and Jody. They hadn’t gone far when he heard someone walking behind him. Setting Claire down carefully, Dean pulled out his gun and his angel blade, and faced towards the footsteps. He nearly dropped both weapons, though, when he saw Cas stumbling towards him. He was covered in blood, Dean’s duffel slung over his shoulder, and he was dragging his sword and the witches cuffs on the ground as he walked. 


	10. I'm Gonna Take Care of You

“Cas? Cas, are you OK?”

Dean rushed over to the angel and caught him as Cas fell towards the ground, unresponsive.

“Shit! Fuck, I can’t do this, Cas. You need to get up! I can’t carry you both.”

Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders and dragged him over next to Claire. He carefully took his duffel from around Cas’ neck and hurriedly unzipped it as he looked for some first aid supplies for Claire. While he was doing that, he took out his phone and dialed Sam, putting it on speaker and letting it drop to the ground as he worked. It rang and rang, and Dean started to fear that Sam and Jody had been ambushed as well. Just as Dean was about to hang up, the ringing was interrupted and Sam answered.

_ “Dean? You OK? You find her?” _

“Sam! Sam I need help. Claire is hurt bad and Cas is unconscious. Some fucking faeries took her and set a trap for Cas. We are about an hour west of the campsite and I don’t know if the faeries will come back. Sam, please hurry.”

_ “I’m coming. Dean, be careful.” _

Sam hung up the phone and Dean didn’t bother turning his off, knowing the phone would do it itself; he was busy trying to bind all of Claire’s wounds with the few bandages he had. She never said a word while he tried to fix her, she just looked at Cas with worry in her eyes. Dean was able to patch up both her arms, but he didn’t have enough to bind her back.

“Sorry, Claire, I can’t fix up your back without more supplies.”

“Is Castiel… is he going to be OK?” She still wasn’t looking at him, and Dean didn’t blame her after everything he put her through. 

“Don’t worry, Claire, I’m gonna take care of him. You hear that Cas? I’m gonna take care of you. You and Claire. I’ve got you.”

 

It had been an hour since Dean had talked with Sam, and he didn’t know how long it would take his brother to find them, but the sun was setting through the trees, and their time was running out. Cas had yet to wake up and Dean was getting extremely worried about Claire, as she was exhibiting symptoms of severe blood loss, from shaking and clammy skin, to the state of unconsciousness she recently fell into. Dean didn’t want to announce their presence by building a fire, but since Cas couldn’t heal his girl, Dean had no choice but to keep her warm if she was going to survive. 

First Dean placed an angel blade next to Claire’s open hand, hoping he was just being over cautious, but knowing she would need to be able to defend herself if -  _ when _ \- she woke up. Next he carefully moved Cas until the angel’s body heat could help warm Claire a little, making sure the angel sword was still within Cas’ reach. Finally, he built a small fire out of the few branches and leaves he could scrounge up without losing sight of his charges. After the fire was set, he got some water out of his duffel and tried to give some to Claire. She woke up enough to swallow what he managed to get in her mouth, but soon she had passed out again. She was still cold, and Dean wished he had a blanket to give her.  _ Well I don’t have a blanket, but Cas’ trenchcoat is larger than most throw blankets I’ve seen.  _

Dean shifted Cas into a sitting position, and carefully pulled his arm out of the coat sleeve. As Dean tried to get Cas’ other arm out of the sleeve, the angel’s head rolled onto Dean’s shoulder, leaving Dean with his face buried in Cas’ hair. Dean’s heart quickened and he clenched his jaw, but he didn’t let the closeness distract him, knowing that he needed to keep both Cas and Claire safe. After he managed to get the trenchcoat off of Cas and around Claire, he sat down next to Cas and waited, his own angel blade at the ready.

“Cas, you need to wake up. Claire is hurt and I don’t know how long Sammy and Jody will be. I need you here with me, I need you.” 

Dean dropped his hand onto the prone angel’s shoulder and left it there. His fingers twitched as they felt the unfamiliar suit fabric and not Cas’ coat.

“Cas please wake up. I don’t know what to do.” 

Dean’s voice broke at the thought that he was once again failing to keep his friends safe.

“Cas-”

Cas’ hand reached and grabbed Dean’s hand tightly. Dean was momentarily overjoyed until he saw bright green light shine out of the angel’s normally blue eyes.

“Dean, RUN!”


	11. I'm Not Going Anywhere

Cas’ now-green eyes burned with faerie magic, and Dean wrenched his arm out of the angel’s grasp and jumped out of his reach.  _ Claire! _ She was too close, so Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders and dragged him across the campsite. As he did so, Dean heard the shackles rattle over the uneven ground, so when Dean let go of Cas, he reached for them.  _ Iron beats faerie. Iron fucking beats faerie. _ The chain between the shackles was several feet long, so Dean wrapped it around Cas’ neck and then around his arms - essentially binding them together - before cuffing the other shackle firmly to Cas’ other wrist. All the while Cas’ eyes were blazing green as he watched Dean tie him up. Dean could tell how hard the angel was fighting the faeries magic by the rigidity in his posture. Once he got the chain around Cas, Dean stepped back and placed himself between the angel and Claire, trying to keep her out of Cas’ line of sight. He didn’t know if the faeries could do anything magical to her through Cas, but he had promised to protect Claire, and he was damn sure going to do that. He drew his angel blade and looked straight into the unnatural green eyes of his friend. 

“Cas? What’s going on? What are they doing to you?”

Cas stared at Dean with fiery-green eyes before tilting his head to the side, trying to look at Claire. 

“Cas! Look at me. I’m here, right here, and you need to pay attention to me. I’m not going anywhere, Cas, so talk to me.” 

Dean made his voice harsh to try and force Cas to look back at him, and it worked. Cas turned back to stare at Dean, the muscles in his jaw working back and forth as he tried to open his mouth.  _ Something’s stopping him, _ Dean thought, and he knelt down in front of Cas and waited for him to speak. The angel kept trying to speak for a several minutes to no avail. Suddenly he went rigid and Dean jumped backwards in fear as green light shone through Cas’ clothes - all in similar shapes to the sigils that had been carved into Claire. 

“Shit!”

Dean took his angel blade and used it to start ripping through Cas’ clothes, trying to get to the runes before anything else happened. He tried to ignore the sly grin that was spreading on Cas’ face, he knew it wasn’t his friend’s. Dean wasn’t fast enough. He heard Claire shriek behind him and he spun around to see her being magically lifted up and flung her towards the fire. Dean ran as fast as he could, but Claire hit the fire hard. Sparks flew up at the impact and swirled around the prone girl as she screamed. Dean dove to the ground and wrapped his arms around Claire, using his momentum to take them both out of the fire. As he tried to catch his breath, Dean heard laughter behind him. It was Cas’ voice, but the laughter was cold and unforgiving, and Dean felt a chill go up his spine. He turned to see Cas standing, still bound in iron, shirt and jacket awkwardly hanging off in places where Dean had managed to slice with his blade. Cas laughed again, the green faerie fire in his eyes morphing into cat’s eyes -  _ Like that dick on the throne in the cave who threw me. Shit. _

“Hello human. Thank you for this new present.” 

The words came out of Cas’ mouth but the voice was wrong. It was lighter in tone than Cas’ normal gravelly way of speaking, and Dean felt a stab of anger at the thought of a  _ stupid faerie _ using Cas as a mouthpiece. He stood up and faced Cas before he noticed his angel blade was lying in the ground near Cas’ feet.  _ Must have dropped it when I got Claire. _ He tried to edge forward towards the blade but as he did so Claire cried out again in pain. He turned to see what was happening to her, and saw that she was being stretched out, like her arms and legs were being pulled apart. Claire was fighting it, though, struggling against the magic with all her strength, even though it wasn’t much. 

Dean was desperately trying to think of a way to help her and stop Cas at the same time when he noticed a faint flickering on Claire’s neck. He dropped down next to her and saw that it was actually another sigil that had been carved into her skin.  _ Must have been glamoured. _ He didn’t dare cut it: with her struggling as much as she was, he’d most likely slit her throat and kill her.  _ Shit, shit, fuck! _ He suddenly had a vision of Bobby burning a demon brand off of Sam, from when Meg had bound herself to his body, and Dean didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a red-hot ember from the remains of the fire next to them, ignoring the burn to his hand, and pushed it against Claire’s neck. He tried so hard to not listen to the scream she made. He tried very hard to push his worries for her aside as she slumped to the ground unconscious, no longer being pulled by magic. He tried so very hard to not let his guilt for practically torturing Claire - a woman so precious to Cas that Dean had promised to leave the angel behind for her safety - overwhelm his thoughts. He flung the ember aside and turned back to Cas.

Cas was leaning against a tree, breathing hard. Dean could see some of the runes on his chest flicker, like the magic was being interrupted. Cas looked at him with blue eyes and Dean felt a glimmer of hope run through his chest. He ran forward stopping just short of Cas, knowing that the faerie was still possessing the angel.

“Dean quick! You need to blind me. He bound himself to my eyes and he is trying to take over my grace. The iron is slowing him down, but not by much. Help me!” 

Cas’ head flung back into the tree hard - Dean heard something crack - and when he straightened up, his eyes were green again.

“Oh no you don’t, human,” Dean hated this faerie. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	12. I'm Sorry

Dean tackled Cas, shoving him to the floor before punching him repeatedly in the face. He then scrambled to retrieve his angel blade, Cas’ words echoing in his mind.  _ You need to blind me. Bound himself to my eyes. Taking over my grace. _ Like hell this stupid freak was going to take over Cas, was going to steal Cas from him. Dean stood and faced the possessed angel. Cas was lying on the forest floor, his eyes burning with green fire, and his arms tightly bound in chains. Slowly Dean walked over to his friend while he gripped the blade tight. He didn’t want to do this, but he had run out of options.

“I’m sorry, Cas. I’m so sorry.”

As he spoke he knelt on Cas chest, using his weight to keep the angel from struggling as much as he could. The faerie inside of Cas tried to fight, tried to use Cas’ voice to make Dean hesitate, but Dean shoved everything behind the walls in his mind and slowly lowered the angel blade into Cas right eye. There was a bright flash of green that was quickly hidden by blood as the eye burst under the pressure of the blade. Cas screamed and Dean’s breath hitched as the knowledge that he was hurting Cas  _ again _ filled him. Still he didn’t stop. Cas had said to blind him, and Dean trusted in his friend. So he raised the angel blade and plunged it towards Cas’ left eye. The faerie struggled, refusing to lie still. The struggles meant that Dean’s next slice of the blade went into Cas’ cheek, rather than the eye Dean was aiming for. Dean quickly raised the blade, afraid of accidentally killing Cas. Before he could try again he heard a shout behind him.

“Dean? Dean!”

Sam and Jody came running into the campsite, and Jody gave a cry of horror when she saw Claire bloody and unconscious on the ground. Sam ran over to Dean and tried to pull him off of Cas, but Dean shrugged him off.

“No Sam! He told me too! There is a faerie trying to possess him. Something about binding to Cas’ eyes. Help me hold him down.”

Thankfully, Sam didn’t protest, he just knelt down by Cas’ head and pushed down on the angel’s shoulders, using his strength to keep Cas still. Dean didn’t waste any more time, quickly using the angel blade to destroy Cas’ other eye. As soon as he did, Cas froze and stopped breathing as a green light shimmered around his body. Sam jumped up in alarm, and Dean just got off of Cas’ chest and restarted his task of breaking all of the runes the faeries had carved into his friend. As soon as Sam saw what Dean was doing he drew his own angel blade and started to help. They tore off Cas’ shirt so they could get to his back, destroying the runes they found on his skin. Last of all, Dean took his lighter and burned Cas’ neck, not taking the chance the faeries hadn’t done the same thing to him that they did to Claire. 

There was a shriek as what looked like a spirit came out of Cas as Dean burned the angel's neck, and Dean recognized the cat faerie from the cave. Without thinking, he threw his angel blade straight into the spirit’s chest, pinning it to the tree behind it. As the blade passed through the faerie spirit, it started to burn. It writhed and screamed until it exploded with a flash of green fire, and Dean smiled in grim triumph. 

“Sam!” 

Jody’s voice was desperate as she cried out for help. Sam rushed over to see what she needed. Dean’s attention was all on Cas. The angel had started to breath again.

“Dean?” 

Dean dropped to his knees and grabbed Cas’ hand with both of his.

“Cas I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” He was babbling, but he couldn’t help it. Cas just lifted his other hand and placed it on top of Dean’s fingers.

“Dean, it’s OK. You did it, you saved us. How is Claire?”

“Bad. I had to cut her pretty much everywhere in order to break the sigils. She isn’t doing so hot.”

Cas tried to move and Dean helped to push him into a sitting position. 

“Dean, can you bring her to me?”

Dean nodded, and then had to push back tears of guilt as he realized that Cas was blind, and by his hands at that. 

“Sam? Bring her over to Cas.” 

Sam and Jody had already wrapped Claire in Cas’ discarded trench coat to keep her warm, and at Dean’s call, Sam picked up the young woman and laid her next to the angel. Cas tried to move his hand onto Claire’s body, but he couldn’t see, so Dean gently stopped his searching hand and guided it to Clair’s shoulder. Dean saw the glow of light as Cas healed Claire, and he was glad that she would be OK. But then Cas’s hand dropped off of her shoulder and his head slumped towards the ground. Dean caught him and placed his arms around Cas’ body, holding the unconscious angel to his chest. 


	13. It's Not Your Fault

“Is she OK? Why isn’t she waking up! I thought angels could fix anything!” Jody was almost screaming at Sam as she held Claire close to her chest.

“Jody She’ll be fine! Cas cured her, but it looks like she lost a lot of blood…” 

Sam was talking, trying to calm Jody down, but Dean tuned him out as he held the blind angel close to his heart. Cas was silent in his arms, unmoving and unresponsive. Dean held him closer and bowed his head, trying to hide the guilt that overwhelmed him. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but he nearly jumped out of his skin when Sam placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“What?” 

Sam’s face was kind as he looked down at Cas before he turned back to Dean.

“We need to get out of here, it’s almost night. There was a wendigo, Jody and I ganked it, but I don’t want to get caught out here by anything else, especially with Cas and Claire hurt. Claire is still out, but it looks like she is sleeping now, so Cas must have fixed up the worst of her injuries. I am going to carry her back to the cars, and Jody will help you with Cas. Is that OK?” 

Sam looked at Dean with concern until Dean remembered that he was supposed to answer.

“Yeah. Yeah, OK. We should get back.” 

Sam squeezed Dean’s shoulder before removing his hand. He waited for Dean to look back down at Cas before telling him 

“It’s not your fault, Dean.”

Dean just shook his head and didn’t look Sam in the eye. He knew that it was his fault, no matter what Sam said.

Sam helped Dean get Cas upright, and then he left to go pick up Claire. Dean slung Cas’ arm over his shoulders and slipped his own hand around Cas’ waist, before turning to start the slow hike back. After a moment, Cas’ weight shifted, and Dean looked up to see Jody had taken Cas’ other arm and put it around her shoulder, easing some of the weight balance off of him. No one said anything as they hiked the long hours left. Dean could see Sam shifting Claire in his arms a few times, but he never heard a complaint. Cas was still, Dean wasn’t even sure the angel was breathing, but he knew Cas only breathed to not make Dean uncomfortable, so he tried not to be worried. 

Dean lost track of time about an hour into the hike. He stopped thinking, stopped noticing his surroundings as he walked, he just put one foot in front of the other, following Sam. When Jody stopped walking and let go of Cas, Dean stumbled once with the unexpected weight, but he kept on going. Then Sam was standing in front of him, blocking his path. 

“Dean, stop. We are here.”

Dean looked around, surprised to see the cars parked a few feet away, the rear passenger door of Baby already open. He nodded dumbly, and walked over to the open car door. He gently lowered Cas down onto the back seat and made sure that the angel wouldn’t fall. He touched Cas’ face hesitantly, hoping that the angel would respond, but he didn’t. Sadly, Dean lowered his hand and whispered,

“Please wake up Cas. I need you… I need you to be OK.”

  
  


Sam drove Jody’s car, as she wanted to hold Claire. After making sure Dean was OK enough to drive, the three of them took off. Dean sat in the Impala, hands on the steering wheel, and watched them leave. Once he lost sight of them, his head dropped to his hands and he let his tears fall.

“I’m sorry, Cas. I’m so, so sorry!”

  
  


Dean drove into Jody’s driveway and parked. Cas still had not woken up, and Dean was about to crash from exhaustion. Sam was leaning against the front door and waiting for him. When Dean opened up the back door to get Cas, Sam was there to help him. They walked the angel into the house and laid him down on the guest bed. Dean heard Sam say something about Jody having an extra bed available, but Dean ignored him. After a minute, Sam left and closed the door behind him. Dean sat down on the floor, hard. He leaned against the bed and rested his head near Cas’ hand, closing his eyes. Before he succumbed to sleep, he whispered one last time,

“I’m so sorry, Cas.”


	14. Thank You

Castiel woke up to darkness. At first he thought that it was because his eyes had not healed completely, which was partially true, he realized the longer he analyzed himself - he could see, but it was blurry - but it was mostly because he was in a room with the lights turned off. Sitting up, he looked around and saw Dean leaning against the bed fast asleep. Dean was covered in blood, and the salty smell of sweat and the dusty smell of earth clung to him. Dean’s head was inches away from Castiel’s hand, and the temptation to touch him was overwhelming. Castiel gently placed his hand on Dean’s head, caressing Dean’s short, brown hair. Dean shuddered at the contact, waking up and turning his face to Castiel. Castiel slowly ran his hand down onto Dean’s face, pausing to wipe the tears that were slowly cascading down from Dean’s eyes. Dean raised his hand and placed it on top of Castiel’s and held on tight, squeezing until Castiel was glad he was an angel and Dean didn’t have the strength to break his hand. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Dean kept whispering over and over, continuing to hold Castiel’s hand.

Castiel crawled off the bed awkwardly, since Dean seemed incapable of releasing his hand, and knelt next to him. Castiel put his other hand on Dean’s face and leaned over and kissed Dean’s forehead. He tasted salt from sweat, and scented the unique blend of blood, dirt, and musk that was  _ Dean _ . As soon as his lips touched Dean’s skin, Dean sucked in a breath and went silent, although his grip on Castiel’s hand tightened almost painfully. Castiel lowered his head until their foreheads were touching and closed his eyes tightly. 

“Thank you, Dean,” he whispered. “Thank you for saving Claire, for keeping her safe from everyone, even me. Thank you for not hesitating to do the right thing and blinding me. Thank you for getting us out of there, for bringing Claire home. Thank you.”

At this point, Castiel was shedding tears through closed eyelids as well, but he opened them at the soft press of Dean’s finger tracing the path of his tear down his cheek. Dean’s eyes were nearly shut, with only a hint of green peering through, and they were surrounded by dark, long lashes. Castiel stopped thinking and acted on instinct, leaning forward and kissed Dean’s right eye. Dean let out a shuddering breath and his grip on Castiel’s hand loosened and became a hesitant caress. Castiel turned and kissed Dean’s left eye, and Dean’s other hand dropped from Castiel’s face to rest on his chest. 

“Cas…” 

Dean’s voice was nothing more than a moan, and Castiel moved one more time and softly kissed Dean’s lips. At first the kiss was chaste, a slow press of lips, and nothing more. And then Dean moved like lightening, grabbing Castiel’s face and kissing him deeply and frantically. Castiel flowed with him, keeping up with the raw need that had been building between them for years. 

Even though Castiel didn’t need to breathe, they were both breathless when they separated, staring at each other with wide eyes. 

“Cas, I…”

“Dean, I…”

They spoke together and then stopped, and Castiel gave Dean the small smile that he reserved only for him.

“Cas. I don’t… I don’t know what this is, but I need you. Please god, I need you. I thought I had lost you and that it was my fault again,” Dean’s voice broke and Castiel leaned forward and took the hunter in his arms. 

Dean was silent as he cried, shuddering in the arms of his angel, and Castiel kept him safe. He picked Dean up and laid him down on the bed, wrapping himself around Dean’s body and shielding him from the outside world. Slowly, Dean stopped crying and just lay still.

“Cas, don’t leave me,” he begged.

“Never, Dean,” Castiel replied, softly kissing Dean’s shoulder. “I’ll never leave you.”


	15. Don't Let Go

Someone was knocking on the door. Dean slowly untangled himself from Cas’ arms and went to investigate. It was Sam, and he peered into the dark room as he spoke.

“Hey Dean. Claire is up and she is asking about Cas. I told her that I would see how he was doing. Is he OK?”

“Um, yeah,” Dean answered, scratching his neck. “Yeah, he is getting better. Hang on, I’ll go see if he wants to get up.”

Dean closed the door and turned to see Cas sitting on the bed and looking down at his outstretched fingers. Dean smiled at the sight, and then realized that he was still in his blood and dirt covered clothes. After stripping off his jacket and flannel top until he was down to his t-shirt, he felt a little better, especially since he wasn’t wearing clothes that were stained with Cas’ blood anymore. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to Cas, and took the angel’s hand into his own. 

“Hey, how are you doing? Have you healed from everything I…” 

Dean had to take a couple of deep breaths as his guilt came crashing down on top of him. Cas squeezed their entwined hands, and Dean’s shoulders released their tension.

“Yes, Dean, I think I have mostly healed. Sam said Claire was up?” Dean nodded. “Good, I need to see her. I don’t remember if I healed her completely.”

Dean nodded again and stood up, letting go of Cas’ hand as he stretched his sore muscles before walking towards the door. Cas grabbed his hand tightly and stopped him from moving, and Dean turned back in surprise.

“Cas?”

The angel opened and closed his mouth for a moment before looking at Dean with a mix of fear and resolve on his face.

“Dean, you asked me not to leave you, and I never will. I have given and will continue to give everything for you. But you can’t leave me, either. I need you just as much as you need me, so please don’t let go of me Dean.”

Dean was astonished at the raw emotions that Cas was pouring out with his words, unlike the angel’s usual stoicism, and he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the angel.

“Never. Cas, you got me for life, so don’t go thinking any different, OK?” He smiled as he felt Cas’ hands run up his spine. “Now we gotta go see Claire and the rest of them before they start knocking again, alright?” 

Cas nodded his head against Dean’s shoulder and then kissed Dean’s collarbone, which sent shivers up Dean’s spine. He let out a shaky breath before he turned his face into Cas’ hair, and lightly kissed the angel’s head. Cas tightened his hold around Dean’s waist and turned his face up to look Dean in the eyes. Dean was startled to notice that the angel’s once blue eyes were covered in a silver film, like cataracts, but shiny. He put his hand against Cas’ cheek and whispered,

“I’m sorry,” and he kissed Cas’ right eye, trying to give Cas the same peace Cas had given him hours before.

“I’m so sorry,” and he kissed Cas’ left eye, before he leaned their foreheads together and let his hand slowly move down from Cas’ cheek to his neck.

Their eyes were closed as they stood, the dark room enveloping the pair in silence. Dean tilted his chin and found Cas’ lips with his own. The kiss was slow and comforting. There was no fire like the last time, but still the two men found a simple peace in the intimacy of the moment. Dean finally stepped back with a small, happy smile on his face. He took Cas’ hand in his own and walked over to the door. As they stepped into the lit hallway, Cas suddenly gasped and grabbed at Dean’s arm, stopping both of their movements. 

“Cas? What’s wrong?” Dean didn’t try to hide the worry in his voice.

“I can’t see! Dean, I thought my eyes were healed, because I can see you, but out here it’s too bright and the shapes don’t make sense…” 

“What do you mean you can’t see but you can see me?” Dean put his hands on Cas’ shoulders and stared his face as if he could will the angel to see.

“I mean I get that you can’t see yet, I stabbed your eyes with an angel blade, Cas, but how can you see me?”

Cas was turning his head back and forth, and when he didn’t answer Dean shook him slightly to get his attention. Cas’ eyes snapped back to Dean and he relaxed at whatever he saw.

“I’ve always been able to see you, Dean,” he said calmly. “Your soul nearly blinded me in hell with it’s bright strength, and since I pulled you out, your soul continues to shine like a beacon. I could never loose sight of it.”

Dean didn’t know how to respond to this revelation, so he squeezed Cas’ shoulders and waited for Cas to finish speaking.

“I could see you in the room still, and since it was dark I didn’t pay attention to what else I could see… but now… I can’t see. I can’t see, Dean!”

Cas started to shake as his panic built up and Dean stepped backwards in surprise as the light in the room bent around the angel and shadows of broken, featherless wings appeared behind Cas. Dean, afraid that the commotion would draw the attention of the others and adverse to the thought of them seeing Cas this vulnerable, quickly came forward and held Cas tightly in his arms, kissing the side of the angel’s face as he whispered in his ear.

“It’s OK. I… I hurt your eyes bad, Cas. With an angel blade, and you have always healed from those wounds slowly. Let me be your eyes until they heal up. I’m not leaving you, you are not alone in this. Your eyes will heal, and until then, I will guide you.”

Cas quieted as he stood there, slowly breathing and relaxing into Dean’s touch. He finally nodded, and Dean shifted until they were side by side, their right hands grasping each other tightly, and Dean’s left arm around Cas’ waist. Dean took a guiding step forward towards the living room, but he stopped once more as Cas asked softly,

“Dean, don’t let go?”

“Never.”


	16. You Kept It?

Dean led Cas into the living room where Sam was sitting on a big chair, and Claire, Alex, and Jody were huddled on the couch. Dean grinned when he saw that Claire was cuddling the Grumpy Cat that he and Cas had bought for her birthday. He whispered this to Cas and was pleased at the small grin of surprise on Cas’ face. They were walking over towards a chair when Claire jumped off the couch and ran into Cas’ arms. He jumped in surprise at the hug since he hadn’t seen it, but he let go of Dean’s hand to wrap both his arms around the young woman. Dean stepped back a small bit to give them room, but he kept his hand on the small of Cas’ back. 

“Claire. I’m glad you’re OK. Dean said you had the Grumpy Cat from the Hot Topical. I didn’t… You kept it?” Cas’ voice was full of wonderment.

Claire gave a small huff of laughter into Cas’ shirt, and then she gasped as Cas sent a wave of healing grace through her. She stepped away from him when he was done before she thanked him. 

“Thank you Castiel. Thank you for coming to get me. Thank you for answering my prayers…” Claire realised that Cas wasn’t looking directly at her and she she peered at his eyes before her own eyes widened in shock.

“Your eyes…”

Cas stepped backwards until he was pressed against Dean, a sad look on his face. Dean put his hands on Cas’ shoulders and squeezed them in reassurance. 

“Claire, my eyes will be fine in time. You don’t need to worry. Did I heal all of your wounds?” 

Claire nodded, but then she realized that Cas couldn’t see so she hastily blurted out a “Yes”, before going back to sit with Jody and Alex. Dean took Cas’ arm and led him to the chair. He watched as Cas slowly sat down, and he didn’t relax until the angel did. Dean stood next to Cas with his hand on his shoulder, smiling back when the angel lifted his face and mouthed a quiet thank you. Dean looked up and over the group before he spotted Sam, who looked tired but had a big grin on his face. Sam caught Dean’s eye and nodded at Cas, then he winked at Dean. Dean stiffened as he realized that Sam  _ knew _ , but he grinned sheepishly and ducked his head. 

“So Claire,” Sam said. “You will be happy to know that there was a wendigo in the forest. Jody and I managed to take care of it before we got Dean’s call. Good detective skills.”

Claire smiled in triumph, Dean guessed that there might have been an earlier argument about the validity of her tracking. He cleared his throat to get  her attention, and when she looked up at him he gave her a stern glance before speaking.

“Claire, Sam is right, you did a good job with the research, but you went out there alone, with no backup, and without telling anyone where you were going.  _ And _ you lied to Jody about what you were doing. If you are going to hunt, be responsible about it. Find a partner, tell people where you will be. Don’t be stupid about your hunts, cause stupid kills.”

“Yes.” “Yes!” Both Cas and Jody spoke at the same time. 

Claire had the grace to look ashamed as she looked back and forth between the older people in the room. Dean took pity on her and relaxed his stern gaze into something resembling a smile.

“Claire, did the faeries say anything about why they took you or what their plan was?”

Claire looked down and curled herself around Grumpy Cat. Jody rubbed her back and Alex took her hand and squeezed it. Claire shook her head.

“No. They… They only spoke of ‘him’ coming, I guess they meant you, Castiel. The guy in charge said he needed a fallen angel for something. Other than that they just…” Claire stopped speaking and Jody pulled her in for a hug.

“It’s OK Kiddo, those guys are dead,” Jody looked over at Dean and Cas for confirmation, and then she continued when they nodded in assent. “And we are going to make sure their friends can’t get here. We can add to the wards, right Sam?”

Jody looked to Sam for his opinion, but Sam was looking at Dean and Cas in horror. Dean knew exactly what Sam was thinking because he had realized the same thing. 

“Oh shit!” 

They spoke together before Sam jumped up out of his seat and rushed to the windows where he tried to scratch off the angel warding sigils that Alex had drawn when they had left. Dean grabbed Cas’ hands and pulled him up and led him as fast as possible to the front door to go outside. Once they made it past the warding on the door, Cas took a deep breath of relief and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Dean. That is better. I should be able to heal now. I had forgotten about the warding on the house.” 

Dean kissed the top of Cas’ head and stroked his back as the angel slowly healed the rest of his wounds. He was worried about _why_ the faeries would want Cas, but he decided that he would figure that out later. Right now he just wanted Cas back to his old self. 

While they were standing there Sam walked up. He looked at the entwined pair and smirked, but he didn’t say anything about it, for which Dean was grateful as he really wasn’t in the mood for Sam’s teasing. Sam’s voice was serious, though, when he spoke.

“Dean,” he said quietly, so he wouldn’t disturb Cas. “I’m going to go with Jody to get a bunch of iron chains. We are going to bury them around the house to make a faerie proof perimeter so the girls will be safe. I got the biggest of the angel warding down, but not all of it, so if you want it to be a little less hostile for Cas, just put Alex and Claire on it. Is Cas healing better now?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded over Cas’ head that was still on his shoulder. “Yeah, he is getting better. You and Jody go, we will watch the girls.”

Dean watched as Sam and Jody drove off in Jody’s truck, and he waited until they were out of sight before he kissed Cas’ head again and whispered anxiously in his ear.

“Are you getting better?”

Cas nodded as he turned his face up to meet Dean’s eyes. Dean sucked in a sharp breath at the bright, piercing blue that shone like stars that were Cas’ eyes. He couldn’t help but caress the angel’s face in wonder. He leaned forward and caught Cas’ lips with his. The kiss was gentle, and the two men took their time figuring out the perfect rhythm, the best way they fit together, learning how to be with each other. They didn’t stop until they heard giggling behind them. Stepping apart, Dean turned to see Alex softly laughing with her hand over her mouth as Claire stared at them with a surprised smile blooming on her face. 

“Ha ha, Claire,” Alex spoke low, although Dean could still hear her. “Now you have  _ two _ almost-dad’s to deal with.”

Dean grinned at Alex and grabbed Cas, bending him over and laying a big, sloppy, romantic kiss on the angel. Alex laughed again as Cas clutched Dean’s shoulders and kissed him back. Dean heard Claire muttering something about always knowing they were big softies before she turned and walked back into the house.


	17. Let's Go Home

Dean and Sam finished packing up the trunk of the impala, putting back their shovels and brushing the dirt from their hands, before going inside the house to eat. They had spent a couple hours digging a trench around the house and burying the iron chains that Jody and Sam had bought. Cas had given Claire, Jody, and Alex angel blades, since they had proven effective against the faeries, and he had taught them a few moves while the brothers were working. Jody had offered them a hot meal and a bed for the night, and they had agreed to the food, but not to the bed. Dean had wanted to get home that night if possible, since Cas hadn’t wanted to remove all of the angel wards from Jody’s house. He had wanted Claire to be as protected as possible. So Dean had painted devil’s traps under the doormats and poured salt over top the chains that they buried. 

The food Jody served was simple, nothing more than pasta and a meat sauce, but it was good and the brothers ate several platefuls. Then they hugged the three women and got in the car and drove away into the night. Dean had been pleasantly surprised when Sam, of his own free will, got in the backseat, letting Cas sit up next to Dean. The two kept their fingers entwined during the entire long drive back to the bunker. Dean kept his eyes on the road, but he had a smile on his face that came from being able to feel Cas’ thumb lightly tracing circles on his skin. 

He could see Cas out of the corner of his eye as he watched the stars as they hung in the night sky, and he was reminded that it was only a few days prior that they had gone stargazing. He shook his head at that thought, as it seemed a lifetime ago, not a few days. In a way it was a lifetime past, since he hadn’t had the courage to admit his feelings towards the angel then. He promised himself that they would go stargazing again, so that he could experience it with Cas in his arms instead of nearby. 

The drive was long, but it didn’t seem to take as much time as Dean would have thought. Sam slept in the back, and Dean and Cas stayed silent, merely enjoying the other’s presence. When they pulled into the bunker’s garage, it was almost a surprise. Dean had been riding high from the emotions that flowed through him, but as the sun was beginning to make an appearance, his fatigue started to show through. Sam got out of the car and mentioned something about taking a quick run, and Dean just nodded as a yawn threatened to split his face. 

Cas smiled and waited for Sam to leave before he turned to face Dean.

“Come on, Dean. Let’s get you to bed. You are about to fall asleep on the steering wheel.” 

Dean grumbled something about Baby being a perfectly good bed, but he left the car and started stumbling towards his room, with Cas right behind. When Dean opened his door he suddenly got nervous. He glanced over at Cas, who was calmly stripping off his trench coat and suit jacket, and he felt something loosen in his chest. Cas was going to stay, he wasn’t leaving. As if he read Dean’s mind, Cas looked at him at that moment and smiled. 

“Dean, come to bed. You are exhausted and you need your sleep.”

“You’re staying?” Dean asked, hopefully.

“Of course. I promised you that I would.”

Dean watched as the tall angel walked over to him, and shivered as he placed his hands on Dean’s face.

“Dean,” Cas said seriously. “You are mine, now. I will never leave you. I told you this last year when the Mark nearly took you away from me when I said I would watch you murder the world.” Dean tried to hide his face in shame at the memory, but Cas didn’t let him. “And Dean, I meant it. I was ready to stand by you at your worst, do you honestly think that I would leave you now?” 

Cas smiled a gentle smile as Dean processed this speech, and then he kissed the hunter and told him to get ready for bed.

When Dean had gotten into his sleeping pants and finished in the bathroom, he came back into his room to find the lights off and Cas stretched under the covers of his bed. Slowly he crawled in next to the angel and into his arms. Dean smiled as Cas lightly kissed the top of his head. He breathed in the scent of pine, salty air, and woodsmoke that belonged to Cas, before he closed his eyes and whispered goodnight.

“Goodnight Dean,” said Cas. “Get your rest and I’ll watch over you.” 

And Dean fell asleep with the feeling of Cas’ lips leaving soft kisses in his hair.


End file.
